West Senior Football Championship Winners 1940-2010
West Senior Football Final program, September 25, 2011
The championship commenced in 1940 following a proposal by Emly at the convention held in the Golden Vale, Dundrum on January 14. Three teams affiliated, Arravale Rovers, Emly and Galtee Rovers and the championship was to be run on a league basis. There's an incomplete record of what transpired and it appears to have been unfinished because, in the following April, Emly were nominated to represent the division in the county championship.
In 1941 Arravale Rovers, Golden and Emly affiliated and the championship was to be played on a league, home and away system. All G.A.A. activity was dogged that year by the petrol shortage as a result of the Emergency and the Foot and Mouth disease. There is no record of how the championship progressed but it would appear that Arravale won it.
Three teams affiliated for the 1942 championship, Arravale Rovers, Emly and junior champions of 1941, Galtee Rovers. Again, information on the games is skimpy but we do have a record of the final, which was played between Arravale and Emly at Sean Treacy Park on November 4, with victory going to Arravale by 2-2 to 0-2.
There was no championship from 1943-46 inclusive.
1947 Galtee Rovers 5-6 Arravale Rovers 0-4. (The Galtee Rovers G.A.A. history gives the result as 5-8 to 0-4 and adds: ' 'The winning margin of 19 points has never been equalled or surpassed in subsequent finals, and for that reason alone, the final holds a special niche in the Annals of West Tipperary football'.)
1948 Arravale Rovers defeated Cashel Area. Because only two teams, Arravale Rovers and Galtee Rovers affiliated in the championship the board decided to organise three area teams drawn from junior clubs, Cashel, Dundrum and Emly. The Cashel Area team was drawn from Abbey Rangers, Cashel King Cormacs, Rockwell Rovers and Golden Kilfeacle.
1949 Galtee Rovers 3-2 Arravale Rovers 1-2. The Hennessy Cup was presented for the first time. It was presented by John Hennessy, chairman, Emly G.A.A. to the winning captain, Larry Maher.
1950 Galtee Rovers 1-3 Clonpet 1-0
1951 Galtee Rovers Five teams affiliated and the championship was run on a league basis. It got very little coverage in the local press. Galtee Rovers appear to have won but there is no record of what team they beat.
1952 Galtee Rovers 2-6 Rockwell Rovers 1-5
1953 Galtee Rovers 1-6 Rockwell Rovers 0-2
1954 Galtee Rovers 0-2 Rockwell Rovers 0-1 This was the completion of Galtee's fantastic six-in-a-row, never emulated by any other club except Galtee themselves between 1999-2004.
1955 Arravale Rovers 1-9 Rockwell Rovers 1-4. This was the fourth year in a row for Rockwell Rovers to be beaten in the final. Their next appearance was in 1962 when they were again on the losing side against Galtee Rovers.
1956 Solohead 1-7 Galtee Rovers 1-4
1957 Solohead 2-8 Arravale Rovers 0-5
1958 Lattin-Cullen 2-5 Emly 1-7
1959 Emly 2-2 Lattin-Cullen 1-4
1960 Emly 1-7 Galtee Rovers 2-2
1961 Lattin-Cullen 1-8 Galtee Rovers 0-2
1962 Galtee Rovers 1-7 Rockwell Rovers 0-3
1963 Galtee Rovers 2-3 Lattin-Cullen 1-5
1964 Lattin-Cullen 2-5 Emly 1-5
1965 Lattin-Cullen 3-7 Galtee Rovers 2-7
1966 Lattin-Cullen 3-4 Galtee Rovers 0-5
1967 Lattin-Cullen 0-5 Arravale Rovers 0-3
1968 St. Ailbie's (Emly/Aherlow) 0-13 Lattin-Cullen 1-4
1969 Lattin-Cullen 1-6 Solohead 0-3
1970 Solohead 0-10 Lattin-Cullen 0-6
1971 Lattin-Cullen 2-3 Newport 1-2
1972 Arravale Rovers 1-6 Lattin-Cullen 0-4. This was the end of a fantastic run by Lattin-Cullen during which they appeared in ten finals in a row, winning six, four of them in a row. They didn't appear again in a final until 1982, when they beat Cappawhite.
1973 Arravale Rovers 3-4 Galtee Rovers 0-8
1974 Galtee Rovers 1-3 Solohead 0-4 (R)
1975 Galtee Rovers 2-12 Solohead 0-5. The Brother Hennessy Cup was presented for the first time. It was presented by the board in memory of the late Tadhg Hennessy.
1976 Galtee Rovers 2-6 Arravale Rovers 1-1
1977 Solohead 1-6 Galtee Rovers 0-5. This fourth title turned out to be Solohead's last victory in the championship. It was a bad-tempered game between two bitter rivals. 'It looked as if everything went, the boot, the fist, the short-armed tackle, the lot,' reported Divot in the Nationalist.
1978 Cappawhite 0-7 Galtee Rovers 0-5 (Second replay).
1979 Galtee Rovers 1-14 Golden/Rockwell 2-6
1980 Golden/Rockwell 3-5 Cashel King Cormacs 1-2
1981 Arravale Rovers 1-6 Solohead 0-3 (R)
1982 Lattin-Cullen 2-3 Cappawhite 0-5
1983 Galtee Rovers 0-9 Solohead 0-2
1984 Arravale Rovers 6-5 Galtee Rovers 0-8
1985 Galtee Rovers 1-4 Cappawhite 0-4
1986 Golden-Kilfeacle 0-12 Arravale Rovers 0-8
1987 Emly 1-7 Arravale Rovers 1-5
1988 Golden-Kilfeacle 0-8 Galtee Rovers 0-5. The game was a re-fixture after the original game was abandoned following the death of referee, Timmy Hennessy.
1989 Galtee Rovers 0-8 Clonoulty-Rossmore 1-4
1990 Cashel King Cormac's 3-10 Lattin-Cullen 0-8. This was Cashel first title in the grade and they also created history in becoming the first club in the division to win both senior titles in the one year. The crowd that turned up for the final was one of the biggest ever for a senior football final.
1991 Galtee Rovers 2-11 Arravale Rovers 3-7
1992 Arravale Rovers 2-10 Lattin-Cullen 0-8
1993 Arravale Rovers 1-9 Cashel King Cormacs 2-4
1994 Lattin-Cullen 2-19 Galtee Rovers 3-8 (R)
1995 Golden-Kilfeacle 0-9 Lattin-Cullen 0-6 (R)
1996 Golden-Kilfeacle 2-19 Lattin-Cillen 3-5
1997 Aherlow 2-9 Kickhams 0-10. This was Aherlow's first appearance in the final and since then they have really made an impact in the division in football.
1998 Kickhams 0-12 Arravale Rovers 0-4
1999 Galtee Rovers 1-10 Golden-Kilfeacle 0-5
2000 Galtee Rovers 1-5 Aherlow 0-5 (R)
2001 Galtee Rovers 1-12 Arravale Rovers 0-7
2002 Galtee Rovers 3-12 Aherlow 0-6 (R)
2003 Galtee Rovers 2-12 Eire Óg 1-6
2004 Galtee Rovers 2-5 Aherlow 0-7. This victory completed Galtee's second six-in-a row to put them way ahead of other teams in the division. During the same years they won six divisional titles at under-21 level. Between 1999 and 2010 Galtee have appeared in 11 of 12 finals, winning seven.
2005 Aherlow 0-11 Galtee Rovers 0-8
2006 Aherlow 0-8 Galtee Rovers 0-5
2007 Aherlow 1-10 Eire Óg 1-9
2008 Galtee Rovers 1-14 Eire Óg 0-7
2009 Aherlow 1-7 Galtee Rovers 0-6
2010 Aherlow 1-8 Galtee Rovers 1-4. Aherlow, having come late on the senior football scene, have a great record in the last six finals, winning five of them.
Roll of Honour: Galtee Rovers 24, Arravale Rovers 10, Lattin-Cullen 10, Aherlow 6, Golden-Kilfeacle 5 (once with Rockwell), Emly 4 (once with Aherlow), Solohead 4, Cappawhite 1, Cashel 1, Kickhams 1.
Losing finalists: Galtee Rovers 15, Arravale Rovers 9, Lattin-Cullen 8, Rockwell Rovers 5, Solohead 5, Aherlow 3, Eire Óg 3, Emly 3, Cappawhite 2, Cashel 2, Golden-Kilfeacle 2, Cashel Area 1, Clonpet 1, Clonoulty-Rossmore 1, Kickhams 1, Newport 1.
County Final Record: Prior to the beginning of the West senior football championship in 1940 teams from Tipperary Town had won the county championship 8 times: 1888, 1889, 1894, 1895 1896, 1899, 1902, 1910. Since 1940 teams from the West division have won 10 county championships: Galtee Rovers 6 – 1949, 1950, 1976, 1980, 1981, 2008; Arravale Rovers 2 – 1941, 1985; Aherlow 2 – 2006, 2010.